Today is Black Friday. It was interesting that one merchant 'hid' their Black Friday sales and only notified potential buyers that had downloaded their mobile app. Does your business have a mobile app?
You may wonder, "how do you know that?" Well...the person I was with did not have the mobile app for this business and when I got the notificaiton of the "huge sale" they did not get this message. So, I wonder...how many potential customers may you be using when you don't offer a mobile app for your website?
With a saturation of smartphones on the market more and more businesses are
using a mobile marketing strategy for new innovative ways to reach customers.
Smartphones have the high-end advanced functions required for mobile marketing.
Smartphones can run third-party applications including merchant applications and
GPS location applications. Combining smart new applications like QR Codes,
mobile coupons with location-based applications are allowing the consumer to
research, retrieve texts from businesses and receive local discount offers.
One of the popular mobile marketing trends is the use of QR Codes. QR Codes
are an instantly recognizable code which when scanned with a smart mobile takes
the user to a website which can provide videos, coupons, promotions and reviews
on a particular product or merchant. Many smart mobiles like the Apple iPhone,
Google's Android and the RIM BlackBerry, have the capacity to download a QR Code
application which allows accessibility to the information stored in the QR
Code. Beach Bums Marketing will get you set up with a QR Code quickly.
Through the use of loyalty programs, merchants can send interested users
mobile coupons, texts of last-minute deals, promotions and weekly ads. In a
recent mobile marketing strategy merchants keep many deals under wraps until
after loyalty customers have been texted the information first.
Location based services on smart mobiles allow users to receive local
discount offers along with local merchant information close to the area of the
user. Smartphones have GPS navigation units and also feature many GPS location
applications. This was the last piece of the puzzle required for location
marketing as the user shares this information.
More mobile users than ever before are texting and sharing photos through
smartphone applications. First only used by business executives now smartphones
have reached a younger audience which are introducing an older generation to the
benefits of smartphone use. Smartphones have opened new venues for consumers.
They are also reviewing and buying products, checking out coupons and group
deals through their mobiles by using an enhanced shopping experience and taking
advantage of mobile marketing trends. Worldwide more than half of all mobile
users are smart mobile users and in the US approximately forty-three percent of
all mobile users have a smartphone. There is a growing dependence on the
smartphone due to its capability to perform office tasks, check email, mobile
banking, make purchases, along with countless online web services and
third-party applications. Along with the increased use of smartphones mobile
marketing trends are continuing to be developed for smartphone users.
Contact us NOW for a free mobile strategy consultation.....stop losing potential customers to your business!
www.beachbumsmarketing.com
Friday, November 23, 2012
81pc of smartphone owners have accessed a retail mobile site
Whether it is for researching or directly shopping, consumers are interacting with retailers in multiple ways on their mobile devices, according to a new study from the Interactive Advertising Bureau.
In a recent study on Mobile Shoppers: Growing Adoption Shifts Shopping Landscape looked at the impact that mobile sites, apps, coupons and offers will have on consumer shopping this holiday season. The study also breaks down which cities in the United States are savviest when it comes to mobile shopping.
Consumers will use their mobile devices to shop more this holiday season. You may ask yourself: Is my website mobile ready? Will they be able to view our products on their phone?
They are going to use their mobile device for everything from researching, to buying, comparison shopping and buying spur of the moment.
In our stressful lives, consumers have found that phones can be a useful tool during the holiday season.
Get mobile ready today - contact us for a free strategy session!
www.beachbumsmarketing.com
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Are you ready for mobile shoppers?
In a recent Mobile Insights biannual study that surveyed 20,000 consumers across fifteen top United States markets in June 2012 it was discovered that approximately 68 percent of U.S. consumers own a mobile device, which is classified as a smartphone, tablet or ereader. This is an increase from 57.2 percent in 2011.
Interesting Facts:
With the holiday season upon us, it's important to have a mobile strategy in place for your clients.
Are you mobile ready? Contact us today for a free strategy session!
www.beachbumsmarketing.com
Interesting Facts:
- Smartphone owners are equally split between males and females, per the research.
- More than half of smartphone owners have used their devices inside a store in the past three months. Thirty percent of tablet owners have done the same.
- Forty-seven percent of mobile owners have a QR code reader downloaded onto their device.
- The report also points to a study from comScore in July, which found that 81 percent of smartphone owners used their mobile devices to access a retailer’s mobile site or app. These users also tend to skew younger in age than desktop users and point to mobile becoming a primary medium for consumers to shop from.
With the holiday season upon us, it's important to have a mobile strategy in place for your clients.
Are you mobile ready? Contact us today for a free strategy session!
www.beachbumsmarketing.com
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Are you ready for couch commerce?
This holiday season, PayPal predicts that couch commerce will explode even further.
The term was coined by eBay and PayPal, and last year, both companies predicted that Thanksgiving Day 2011 would be a day when consumers went from their dinner table to their couch to start their holiday day shopping on Thanksgiving Day on their mobile devices.
Both companies saw a 511 percent increase in global mobile payment activity than on Thanksgiving Day 2010.
“Retail has fundamentally changed,” said Anuj Nayar, director of communications for PayPal, San Jose, CA. “We expect to see some of the phenomenon, massive spike in shopping on Thanksgiving Day and couch commerce to explode.
“We also expect to see a percentage of shopping from mobile devices to rise.”
According to Mr. Nayar, although many marketers tend to differentiate mobile and online shopping, the two are similar in many ways. Mobile shopping, however, is done on a smaller device.
“From our point-of-view, mobile is popular,” Mr. Nayar said. “People shop on their smartphones during the day and their tablets at night.
According to the executive, PayPal sees shopping from their mobile devices during the hours of noon to 1p.m. and users turning to their tablets from 6-7 p.m.
“The way that people shop from their devices is different,” Mr. Nayar said. “It just varies at each device.
The shopping paradigm is changing and mobile is changing that,” he said. “I think the key point that we’re seeing as a company, is that consumers are using technology in new ways to find the best deals and they’re fundamentally changing what retail means and how people shop.
“The mobile device, more than anything else, has bridged the lines between online and in-store commerce. It’s changing the ways that consumers shop. Retailers have to react to catch up to what consumers are doing.”
“Consumers are exercising their mobile shopping skills, with more than two-fifths – 41 percent – pre-shopping online versus only 27 percent in 2011,” he said. “”Consumers have increased their use of smartphones inside stores and are leveraging their devices to the frustration of retailers.”
Contact us TODAY so that you are ready for the couch consumer! It's never too late to get your website mobile friendly!
www.beachbumsmarketing.com
The term was coined by eBay and PayPal, and last year, both companies predicted that Thanksgiving Day 2011 would be a day when consumers went from their dinner table to their couch to start their holiday day shopping on Thanksgiving Day on their mobile devices.
Both companies saw a 511 percent increase in global mobile payment activity than on Thanksgiving Day 2010.
“Retail has fundamentally changed,” said Anuj Nayar, director of communications for PayPal, San Jose, CA. “We expect to see some of the phenomenon, massive spike in shopping on Thanksgiving Day and couch commerce to explode.
“We also expect to see a percentage of shopping from mobile devices to rise.”
According to Mr. Nayar, although many marketers tend to differentiate mobile and online shopping, the two are similar in many ways. Mobile shopping, however, is done on a smaller device.
“From our point-of-view, mobile is popular,” Mr. Nayar said. “People shop on their smartphones during the day and their tablets at night.
According to the executive, PayPal sees shopping from their mobile devices during the hours of noon to 1p.m. and users turning to their tablets from 6-7 p.m.
“The way that people shop from their devices is different,” Mr. Nayar said. “It just varies at each device.
The shopping paradigm is changing and mobile is changing that,” he said. “I think the key point that we’re seeing as a company, is that consumers are using technology in new ways to find the best deals and they’re fundamentally changing what retail means and how people shop.
“The mobile device, more than anything else, has bridged the lines between online and in-store commerce. It’s changing the ways that consumers shop. Retailers have to react to catch up to what consumers are doing.”
“Consumers are exercising their mobile shopping skills, with more than two-fifths – 41 percent – pre-shopping online versus only 27 percent in 2011,” he said. “”Consumers have increased their use of smartphones inside stores and are leveraging their devices to the frustration of retailers.”
Contact us TODAY so that you are ready for the couch consumer! It's never too late to get your website mobile friendly!
www.beachbumsmarketing.com
Are you ready for mobile shoppers?
Mobile shopping
For many marketers, mobile is an important medium to use to help them interact with the connected shopper.
According to Vibes’ Mobile Consumer Report, 54 percent of connected shoppers have compared prices in-store. In addition, 51 percent have looked up a product review, showing there is not much of a gap between comparison shopping and gathering more information about a purchase – leaving a huge opportunity for retailers.
Vibes believes that connected shoppers use their mobile devices a great deal while shopping in-store.
Of the additional in-store activities the connected shopper conducts, 45 percent have scanned a QR or bar code for more information, 33 percent have researched a product on the store’s Web site and 28 percent have used a company’s app in the store.
Additionally, 76 percent of connected shoppers use coupons at least half of the time while shopping; more than half have used mobile coupons, proving that relevant and timely offers continue to play an important role in consumer purchasing habits.
Smarter shoppers
According to the PeriscopeIQ Retail Intelligence Survey, consumers are becoming savvy shoppers, with more 41 percent pre-shopping online versus only 27 percent doing so last year.
Thirty-three percent check prices at other stores or at Web sites.
Similarly, 36 percent are using their phones to take pictures of merchandise, presumably for feedback from friends or family, or for comparison shopping.
Additionally, fewer than five percent of respondents claim to use mobile wallets like Google Wallet or Passbook.
“Despite the commotion about shopping on Black Friday, only a little more than a third – 38 percent – will be shopping this season”, said Mohamed Latib, chief operating officer of PeriscopeIQ. “A significant 60 percent won’t bother battling crowds the day after Thanksgiving.”
Get your business mobile ready today!
www.beachbumsmarketing.com
For many marketers, mobile is an important medium to use to help them interact with the connected shopper.
According to Vibes’ Mobile Consumer Report, 54 percent of connected shoppers have compared prices in-store. In addition, 51 percent have looked up a product review, showing there is not much of a gap between comparison shopping and gathering more information about a purchase – leaving a huge opportunity for retailers.
Vibes believes that connected shoppers use their mobile devices a great deal while shopping in-store.
Of the additional in-store activities the connected shopper conducts, 45 percent have scanned a QR or bar code for more information, 33 percent have researched a product on the store’s Web site and 28 percent have used a company’s app in the store.
Additionally, 76 percent of connected shoppers use coupons at least half of the time while shopping; more than half have used mobile coupons, proving that relevant and timely offers continue to play an important role in consumer purchasing habits.
Smarter shoppers
According to the PeriscopeIQ Retail Intelligence Survey, consumers are becoming savvy shoppers, with more 41 percent pre-shopping online versus only 27 percent doing so last year.
Thirty-three percent check prices at other stores or at Web sites.
Similarly, 36 percent are using their phones to take pictures of merchandise, presumably for feedback from friends or family, or for comparison shopping.
Additionally, fewer than five percent of respondents claim to use mobile wallets like Google Wallet or Passbook.
“Despite the commotion about shopping on Black Friday, only a little more than a third – 38 percent – will be shopping this season”, said Mohamed Latib, chief operating officer of PeriscopeIQ. “A significant 60 percent won’t bother battling crowds the day after Thanksgiving.”
Get your business mobile ready today!
www.beachbumsmarketing.com
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
College Kids Use Mobile During Thanksgiving
Mobile is also effecting college kids.
Did you know that two in five students – 38 percent – say they will do holiday shopping on Thanksgiving?
Moreover, 22 percent of students are more likely to decline a Thanksgiving meal invitation if they know they would not be able to use their mobile devices while there.
The Digitas study also revealed that 76 percent of those who shop by mobile device and computer say that it is easier to shop via computer.
Only eight percent of consumers surveyed said their shopping experience was easier via mobile and 16 percent said there is no difference between the two. The reason? Mobile businesses do not have their website mobile friendly....is yours?
The big news for retailers is that the battle for shoppers is definitely getting beyond just getting them in the store or onto the ecommerce site. It’s also about getting on people’s smartphones and tablets.
Mobile makes life shoppable – so retailers and brands need to focus on being a part of those moments when people are shopping on their mobile devices. Honestly, the most surprising finding was that there were actually people who would decline an invitation to Thanksgiving if they couldn’t use their smartphones.
I thought that if there is one institution that could withstand our increasing need to always be connected, it would be Thanksgiving. But it just indicates how much mobile is changing behaviors, attitudes and culture.
According to many, mobile is going to play a very substantial role in the holiday shopping this season.
It’s going to play three key roles. As a way for people to research and compare features and prices, as a way for people to transact and as a way for brands and retailers to proactively reach out with offers and information.
www.beachbumsmarketing.com
What you you using to drive Black Friday Sales?
There is no doubt that mobile has made its dent in the retail space and marketers are not only increasingly using the medium this holiday season to drive in-store traffic, but educating consumers to turn to their mobile devices first to make purchases. So what have you done in your business to attract the mobile client?
Did you know that every holiday season, brands and retailers come up with new ways to increase sales. Over the past few years, many have integrated mobile into their strategies and have found success. Our findings reinforce that mobile is not just another channel.
We live in a technology-driven cultural phenomenon that is changing how people are connecting to brands and commerce. With more consumers shopping on their devices, brands are being provided with more mobile moments to address and create impact – even during a time of turkey, football, and family.
As mobile becomes the primary way for more and more people to connect to digital – including commerce – we’ll find that every day is mobile, not just Thursday or Monday.
Mobile only
Did you know that the retail market is embracing and igniting “Mobile Thursday” by early store hours or online sales? Don't get left behind by not having a mobile strategy!
Take eBay for example. The company is ramping up its mobile efforts by heavily promoting mobile-only deals, which begin at 5:23 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.
According to a recent study by Digitas, 28 percent of smartphone or tablet-owning adults plan to shop on Thanksgiving Day for the holidays with their mobile devices. This will be nearly double the percentage from 2011.
Furthermore, 29 percent of smartphone or tablet owners say that they have or plan to use their mobile device to assist with upcoming Thanksgiving holiday preparations. That number rises to 40 percent when focused on adults aged 18-34.
So NOW is the time to get your business mobile ready! It's not too late. Yes, many will be shopping this coming Black Friday yet we are all looking for the best deal.
Contact us TODAY to get started: www.beachbumsmarketing.com
Did you know that every holiday season, brands and retailers come up with new ways to increase sales. Over the past few years, many have integrated mobile into their strategies and have found success. Our findings reinforce that mobile is not just another channel.
We live in a technology-driven cultural phenomenon that is changing how people are connecting to brands and commerce. With more consumers shopping on their devices, brands are being provided with more mobile moments to address and create impact – even during a time of turkey, football, and family.
As mobile becomes the primary way for more and more people to connect to digital – including commerce – we’ll find that every day is mobile, not just Thursday or Monday.
Mobile only
Did you know that the retail market is embracing and igniting “Mobile Thursday” by early store hours or online sales? Don't get left behind by not having a mobile strategy!
Take eBay for example. The company is ramping up its mobile efforts by heavily promoting mobile-only deals, which begin at 5:23 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.
According to a recent study by Digitas, 28 percent of smartphone or tablet-owning adults plan to shop on Thanksgiving Day for the holidays with their mobile devices. This will be nearly double the percentage from 2011.
Furthermore, 29 percent of smartphone or tablet owners say that they have or plan to use their mobile device to assist with upcoming Thanksgiving holiday preparations. That number rises to 40 percent when focused on adults aged 18-34.
So NOW is the time to get your business mobile ready! It's not too late. Yes, many will be shopping this coming Black Friday yet we are all looking for the best deal.
Contact us TODAY to get started: www.beachbumsmarketing.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)